Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa expressed his gratitude to God on Friday, following an agreement reached between Pakistan's President Arif Alvi and the Election Commission regarding the date of the upcoming polls in the financially strained nation.
Chief Justice Isa's remarks came one day after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued a notification stating that the general elections would be held on February 8, and subsequently submitted it to the Supreme Court.
This development followed a meeting between Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and President Alvi, in compliance with the Supreme Court's directives, after which the President's Office released a statement confirming the date of February 8 for the general elections. This announcement came hours after the election commission's legal representative had informed the apex court that elections were scheduled for February 11.
On Friday, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan presented the ECP's election notification to a three-member bench composed of Chief Justice Isa, Justice Athar Minallah, and Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan. This bench was considering petitions submitted by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, among others.
Chief Justice Isa emphasized the importance of holding elections for the people of Pakistan and expressed hope that all institutions would fulfill their constitutional responsibilities in facilitating the electoral process. He urged the ECP to release the election schedule once the necessary preparations were completed.
Chief Justice Isa was quoted as saying, "God willing, elections will be held on February 8." He also noted that the dispute between the ECP and the President should not have been brought to the court, emphasizing that the uncertainty surrounding the election date had caused anxiety and fears that elections might not take place at all.
He further clarified the Supreme Court's role in setting an election date, stating, "According to the law and Constitution, the Supreme Court has no role in setting a date for the election." He found it surprising that the President had sought guidance from the court, suggesting that he could have referred to Article 186 of the Constitution.
Chief Justice Isa also called for a reflection on Pakistan's constitutional history, highlighting the consequences that both the country's institutions and its people faced when the Constitution was violated.
The issue of the election date had been a matter of concern for weeks after the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9, as elections are mandated to occur within 90 days. However, the ECP delayed the announcement to finalize the electoral districts following the new census conducted earlier in the year.
The notification of the election date is expected to put an end to the uncertainty in the country and set political parties in motion for the upcoming elections. This announcement coincided with ongoing review discussions between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the release of a USD 710 million second tranche of a USD 3 billion loan to stabilize the financially distressed Pakistani economy.
While the IMF has not explicitly linked this development to any conditions, the clarity on the election date is expected to strengthen the Ministry of Finance's position in these negotiations.
